Wakeup Sleeping Beauty
by TrueLoveWillConquer
Summary: JT says his final goodbyes to Colleen!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

JT entered Colleen's hospital room. He looked at her lying helplessly in the bed, attached to a ventilator, unable to breathe on her own. He was immediately overcome with sadness at the sight of her limp body that was once so full of life.

Colleen's condition had been haunting JT ever since he saw her lifeless, barely breathing body laying weakly in front of Jack at the camp site.

Their unquestionable connection gave him the feeling that she was in danger but he had been too preoccupied to do anything about it until it was too late.

He slowly crept closer to her bed as if not to wake her from the sleep she looked like she was in.

"Hey there Sleeping Beauty" He choked on the words as he attempted to get them out, but he knew he had to stay strong for Colleen.

"Look at you, you're beautiful." He took a breath. "Even in this horrible place, you still manage to shine like the bright star that you are."

He fidgeted nervously, unable to stay still. "I keep hoping that is some nightmare and I'm going to wake up at any minute and see you smile at me, with those bright blue eyes of yours."

"But I know its not. I saved you twice before, but I failed you this time and that will be my cross to bear for the rest of my life."

He paused, trying to hold back the tears. "There's something I need to say to you. Something that has been long overdue."

JT knew this conversation was inevitable. It was bound to happen eventually. He would give anything for the circumstances to be different. He wished it wasn't already too late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"There's something I need to say to you." He repeated. "I just never thought it would happen this way. I thought there would be time."

JT moved over to Colleen's bedside and took her tiny hand in his. The touch of her skin against his sent ripples of fiery passion through his entire body in a way that only her touch could.

"You know, we have been through a lot together Colleen. We've come a long way. Through the good and the bad."

"When it was good it was amazing, and even through the pain it was all worth it. And you know why? Because at the end of it, all you needed to do was smile, or look at me with those bright blue eyes of yours, to let me know that everything was going to be ok. As long as you were happy I could be too."

He steadied himself; worried his legs might cave in at the feeling of her touch. It was so familiar yet still so foreign. His body yearned for more of it, like a recovering addict getting his last dose of a drug he needed to take to survive.

"The world is going to be a sadder place without you in it. The world needs someone like you Colleen. You saw the good in everything and in everyone. You made me the man I am today. You brought out the good in me. You saw beyond everything that was bad, and you made me whole."

He paused to catch his breath.

"You know, Victoria told me she cheated on me. And I know it's wrong but you know what I felt? I felt relieved. It didn't have the same affect on me as you cheating on me did. And that's how I knew."

"That's how I knew I had to stop living a lie Colleen. You're the love of my life, and I was crazy to ever try to deny it, or get over it. I can't get over it Colleen. You are a piece of me, and now..." he sobbed "and now you're gone, and a piece of me is gone too. I don't know who I'm going to be without you. And I want you to know that I forgive you for what happened with Adrian."

He leaned over and breathed in her scent.

"Oh Colleen, how did we ever come to this?" He cried as he took her limp body in his and cradled her. " It's like I woke up one day and suddenly I was a husband and a father, and the woman next to me wasn't you. I always thought we would have that, and right now I'm wishing we had. And after everything" he began but was unable to continue, "After _everything_ we've been through. I never thought it would end like this."

He laid her body down and took a seat in the chair next to her bed for fear of falling over.

"I was supposed to save you, but I let you down. I'm never going to forgive myself for that. If I had fought harder for you this never would have happened. We never should have been apart Colleen. I should have waited for you, like you have always waited for me."

"Maybe if you knew my true feelings you would have kept fighting to live. What we have; what we _are_ is the real thing Colleen, that's why you waited for me."

"And now I'm going to wait for you. I will wait for the day that I get to see you again. I'm not even sure I believe in any of that, but I need something. I need hope to go on."

JT stopped to catch his breath, and went on.

"I know you're still in there somewhere." He paused to caress her face. "I can feel you around me." His sobs quickened.

"They say you're brain dead now, so maybe all of the memories of what we have shared have been erased from that beautiful mind of yours. But just know that I will remember them forever."

"They're going to stay right here" he motioned to his heart "in my heart. And I will never forget you my Blue Eyes. You are the love of my life."

"I need you to do me a favor my guardian angel." He said as he produced a silver heart shaped locket from his pocket. "I need you to take my heart, and keep it safe, until I ask for it back." He leaned down and wrapped the silver chain around Colleen's neck.

"I kept the locket. I never could get rid of it. It was too important. Do you remember?" He bawled as he looked at her lifeless body lying in the hospital bed. "And now I need you to keep it until we can be together again."

"You don't deserve this. I wish it were me. Oh how I wish it were me. Take me instead." He cried. "Or better yet take Victor. He's the reason this happened to you." Fury entered JT's voice as he continued, "And he will pay, trust me he will pay for taking you away from me. What kind of world is this anyways? How can he get to live?"

"How can someone so evil get to live while we have to suffer? Your life was ended before it's time, and now we can never be what we were meant to be. I will never get to kiss you again, or make love to you, or even see you." He continued to cry.

"I will never get to look into those bright blue eyes of yours again, or see you smile. And I hold Victor responsible."

JT wiped his tears. "I promise you Colleen he will pay. I will make him pay if it is the last thing I do."

He leaned over cupped her face with his hands and gave her one last final kiss on the mouth.

"I love you Colleen Carlton. I never stopped, and I never will."

He continued to sob, as he got up from his spot on the chair and got into the bed with Colleen and held her in his arms for one last time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Later on in the day.

JT was still holding Colleen in his arms as Traci walked into Colleen's room. The sight brought immediate tears to her eyes.

JT looked up and saw it was Traci.

"JT I didn't know you were in here. I'm sorry, I'll give you some time."

JT replied. "It's alright Traci. I was just about to leave."

Traci, who was still standing by the door, walked over to the bed, took Colleen's hand in hers and sighed. "You know I still can't believe any of this. I can't believe my baby girl is gone. I thought if anyone could bring her back it would be you." She began to sob heavily.

JT rose from his spot on the bed to comfort Traci. "I can't believe it either." He pulled her into a tight hug.

"She didn't deserve this. I'll never forgive myself for not being able to save her." He continued.

Traci looked up at JT, "This isn't your fault JT, and for what it's worth I'm sorry I ever doubted you, or your love for my daughter."

JT's eyes glazed over again. "It's ok. I wouldn't have trusted a guy like me back then either. But Colleen, she changed me. She made me good. She made me whole."

Both Traci and JT began to sob heavily as their embrace continued.

Traci pulled away, looked up at JT again and said, "You're still in love with her. I've always known it, but now I'm sure of it. When I walked in and saw you in bed with her it was confirmed. You and I just lost the most important person in our lives didn't we?"

JT tried to avoid Traci's piercing eyes but he couldn't. They were just like Colleen's and instantly the truth came pouring out of him.

"Traci you must think I'm a horrible person. I'm a married man. I shouldn't be in love with my ex-girlfriend. But I am. I always have been and it's too late."

Traci pulled JT's hand into hers and replied, "You're not a horrible person JT. We can't help who we love. And I want you to know that you were the love of Colleen's life, and it makes me happier to know that she was able to experience true love in her short life."

JT sniffled. "I wish it didn't have to be this way you know? I thought we would get married one day and have a family. A bunch of kids with her bright blue eyes and her beautiful smile." He paused. "So where do we go from here? What's next?"

Traci looked away. "Colleen was an organ donor. They are harvesting her organs, and they want to do it as soon as possible."

Disbelief and a feeling of shock fell over JT. "So this is really happening? She's really gone. How much more time do we have with her?"

"Not much." Traci wailed. "But I know that it's what Colleen wanted, and I can tell you with the utmost confidence that whoever gets her heart is going to be one lucky person. She had so much passion, and thirst for life."

JT and Traci looked at Colleen's lifeless body on the bed. "Yea she did didn't she?" He replied.

Traci looked at JT's face and could tell that he was thinking about something.

"What's on your mind JT?" She asked.

JT turned to face Traci. "I have something to ask you Traci, I don't know how you're going to feel about it, but I will regret it if I don't ask."

Traci was confused. "JT, what is it? What do you need to ask me? Is it something to do with Colleen?"

JT hesitated but he knew he wanted this more than anything. "I need your permission to do something Traci." He paused. "I need your permission to harvest Colleen's eggs. I want to keep them so I can fertilize them and have Colleen's baby." He continued "I need to have a piece of Colleen with me forever."


	4. Chapter 4

"JT, what is it? What do you need to ask me? Is it something to do with Colleen?"

JT hesitated but he knew he wanted this more than anything. "I need your permission to do something Traci." He paused. "I need your permission to harvest Colleen's eggs. I want to keep them so I can fertilize them and have Colleen's baby." He continued "I need to have a piece of Colleen with me forever."

Traci was stunned by JT's request and she was unable to speak.

"I know it might not work but I need to try. Please say you'll let me?" He pleaded.

Traci turned to face JT with tear stained eyes. "JT I don't know what to say." She walked towards him and pulled him into a hug.

"You've just made me so happy. Of course you can harvest her eggs. I would like that more than anything. Are you sure you want to though? It's a huge responsibility. What about Victoria? Shouldn't you talk to her first?"

JT and Traci broke apart from their embrace. "Traci I'm more than sure. In fact, I think it's the only way I'll be able to survive without Colleen."

"And Victoria?" JT began to turn away from Traci at the question but she grabbed his arm, forcing him to face her. "What about Victoria JT?"

JT tried his best to avoid the question but once again her piercing blue eyes brought the truth out. "Me and Victoria are pretty much finished. She cheated on me and I can't live a lie anymore. And her father …"

JT was unable to continue. He turned away from Traci,"Her father is capable of so much evil. I remember when Brad and I were both being tested to see who Reed's biological father was. We really began to bond because we both wanted Reed to be mine. He told me he would take care of Brad. He said he wouldn't be a problem. He …" JT paused suddenly.

Traci didn't understand. "JT what is it? What's wrong?"

JT turned to face Traci again. "Victor told me he would take care of Brad. He said there would be nothing to worry about. It was like he was certain that the DNA results would come back and prove that I'm Reed's father." Traci's eyes widened. "Oh JT, you don't think Victor switched the test results do you?"

JT nodded. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. Look at what he did to Patty, to Jack, to Colleen. There is nothing he isn't capable of."

JT turned his gaze towards Colleen. "Traci I would hate to ask anything else of you right now, but do you think I could use Colleen's DNA to see if it's a match with Reed's? It's my only chance now that Brad is gone, and Colleen …" He swallowed hard. "Colleen is gone too."

Traci looked into JT's eyes and nodded. "Of course you can."

JT pulled Traci into a hug and they both sobbed.


End file.
